


The Bridge

by Katherine



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daemons, Gen, Set during Encounter at Farpoint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 00:59:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4120570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is the prickle of anger from his daemon that alerts Picard, and he follows her gaze to the open turbolift. Beverly Crusher is two steps onto the bridge, a child behind her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bridge

It is the prickle of anger from his daemon that alerts Picard, and he follows her gaze to the open turbolift. Beverly Crusher is two steps onto the bridge, a child behind her, staring out at the bridge. Picard watches the child as Beverly explains.

Wesley's daemon is in his arms in the form of a raccoon, shaded grey fur against the grey-green of Wesley's sweater. The daemon is even more visibly curious than the child. Her eyes are gleaming in her mask. One small black hand is outstretched towards the bridge that the captain has forbidden to children.

* * *

Wesley should have held on tighter to her, but the swooping desire to explore and find out is strong in both of them. He finds it a little easier to focus, to walk slowly and not touch anything, when she is on the floor of the bridge, moving quickly from one station to another. He feels her hard-won resistance to climbing up on to the empty chair at one of the stations. She's proud of herself at first, then hunched sulkily as Wesley himself is allowed to sit in nothing less than the captain's chair.

She is turning to join Wesley when the perimeter alarm sounds and Wesley unthinkingly puts his hand on the controls. Suddenly, she is pressed down under the Captain's daemon, her short-clawed hands turned upwards in supplication. Wesley should probably be feeling frightened, because the Captain's badger daemon is snarling, her long striped muzzle wrinkled by her low growl. Yet the weight on his soul feels right, not constricting.

Returning quickly to the turbolift in response to Captain Picard's barked "Get off the bridge!" feels not like being send away but like obeying a command. Wesley wants to the depths of his soul to serve in the crew of the _Enterprise._


End file.
